The order was issued Thursday after tests showed the presence of coliform and E. coli bacteria, indicating that the water supply might be contaminated. City officials said that after a subsequent test came back negative Friday, a second test must be performed before the order can be lifted.

Lebanon businesses said they're coping for now, but if the order remains in place for much longer, they might not be able to stay open. The Four Aces Diner in West Lebanon was open Friday, but it was far from business as usual.

"It's kind of hard to know what to do," said Leana Briggs of Four Aces Diner. "We got here a couple of hours early today just to start boiling water for the things that we need to process in the kitchen."

Thursday afternoon, the area was put on a boil-water order after possible contamination was detected in the Lebanon water supply, affecting nearly 15,000 residents. For the diner, it meant scrambling to provide the basic necessities.

At nearby Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, signs were posted warning people about the water. The hospital was notified Thursday afternoon, and it was then a matter of understanding the scope of the problem.

"Obviously, the drinking and the washing, but we have patients with open wounds, etc., so we had to make sure we understood what the implications were," said Gail Dahlstrom, vice president of facilities.

Dahlstrom said the hospital has contingency plans for such situations.

"We have memorandums of understanding with multiple vendors and have put them on notice immediately when we heard about this, and then we've been ordering specific quantities over time," she said.

At the Lebanon Fire Department, the call center was open to answer questions from concerned residents.

The results from the follow-up test are expected to come back Saturday.